Bethesda (when they're not acting like prats about someone daring to use the word "Scrolls" in a title) produced one of my all time favourite games: Fallout 3.It sits atop my list of Desert Island Discs because the Capital Wasteland is simply one of the most engaging virtual environments thus far created, and within which; exploration is rewarded. Very few games actually let you do what you want. They claim to, but in actual fact; just lead you 'round by the nose or provide you "hints" that both insult your intelligence and ruin the atmosphere.Fallout 3 leaves you alone to enjoy its irradiated wonderland at your leisure. Uncovering the mythology for yourself by sifting through the remains of the obliterated DC area.You'd think then, with my obvious love of such games, that I would have picked up a copy of Skyrim. Maybe even two. One to play and one to caress gently during the loading screens.Well; no. I haven't, and won't for some time.Skyrim just doesn't blow my skirt up, for the simple fact that: I've seen it all before. Over the last 20 years, I've played Hero Quest, Fighting Fantasy, various Dungeons and Dragons video games, Ultima Underworld and before any of that, one of my favourite films was Willow.On top of all the media, I actually live in a part of the world that's been settled for the better part of 10,000 years, so there are a fair few ruins here. I could walk for a few minutes in pretty much any direction from where I'm currently sitting and be stood outside a castle, a ruined abbey, an ancient church, a Neolithic standing stone, the site of an old battleground or some grand old hall. I spent much time as a kid in Newcastle, which is built over the epic fortification that marked the Roman Empire's most northern boarder. I passed a bit of that every day on the way to school!That level of exposure kinda makes you numb to the visuals of a Tolkin-esque virtual world, and why the post-apocalyptic wastelands of Fallout are, to me, a more exotic destination that the fantasy realms of Elder Scrolls.I'm not saying I wouldn't ENJOY Skyrim. I might find it to be one of the most engrossing games I've ever played, but for now; I'm more looking forward to nabbing a copy of Saints Row 3.

I guess you could say I'm the reverse of your situation. I live in a populated area in New Jersey with abandoned and dilapidated buildings. I've never been inside them mind you (too afraid of the spiders most likely inhabiting them, we got brown recluse spiders and REALLY BIG wolf spiders over here, the former loving these environments), but it's easy to see them crumble away, only for a new group of people to either claim it or build on top of it. I highly enjoy Fallout 3 and New Vegas, because the idea of living in a world where people are struggling to rebuild on upon the previous which made a choice only God should be allowed to make (sorry if you're not Christian, Catholic, etc.). However Skyrim scoops my eyes out with a shoehorn and nails them to the screen because I've never seen such beautifully depicted medieval structures and architecture. The fact that it lets me ability to sneak by enemies or sneak up for that sneak attack or instant kill, pickpocket, pick locks, bribe guards, have fist fights with people to settle arguments, capture souls, summon creatures, make potions, *long draw of breath*, smith my own weapons and then enchant them is amazing. Despite the fact that I've deleted some saves trying to decide what I truly want to do (I've finally decided to be a Khajiiti thief), there is most definitely more then half of the game left uncovered.

oh funny view of things I was born in a city, where it is nearly the same about castle ruins and stuff, just a footstep away, but I honestly would never say that it get's old for me or that I get used to that sight^^

I love every kind of ruins (specially from medieval times) I'm not sure why....but they are faszinating me :3 same for some landscapes....

so...I bought skyrim...and most of the time I'm playing, I'm actually just wandering around, looking at the world they created It's impressive when you know how much work it must have been to do that, specially if you already did some games yourself and even if some things are not great like the interface or missing high res textures or stuff like this.....it still has this "epic" feeling to it, because no other game had it yet before I mean, how many games have actually fog? or clouds, which are surrounding the mountain?moving like some mysterious mist?...I just love it....not storywise but I always played this games to make my own story^^

I not overly excited about sky rim but i look at it like this sky rim looks way better than oblivion so hopefully fall out four is going to look wonderful i assume this because the two games fall out 3 and oblivion look and feel pretty much the same except for a few minor things but i agree fall out kicks ass can't wait for 4 i hear it in san fransico..

will i played fallout new vegas but on my cuz's ps3 will i liked the game but going to get saints row 3 for my xbox 360 oh try this game its called deus ex i loved it but didn't get to the end anyway i never played fallout 3

I can certainly agree with your points, though I'm somewhat new to enjoying western RPGs as I was fully immersed in jrpgs in the PSOne era and was catching up to RPGs I had missed till now. I fell for Fallout 3 and NV, Dragon Age and Skyrim is certainly fun as well, I can see where your desensitized to ruins and such and I'm happy to see someone for once not showering a game with only praise.

Also glad to see someone else who enjoys a good romp through Saints Row, mindless? Yes but it's such a fun game/stress reliever and the newest one is simply put amazing. It's my favorite game of 2011, Mass Effect 2 is tied with it sure but I forgot when that came out.

You should be aware it was Zenimax Media that sued Mojang, not Bethesda. Zenimax Media own Bethesda, and therefore, have the right to sic their lawyers, even though Bethesda protested against such a move.

Yep. Fallout 3 is pretty sweet. New Vegas is cool, but i think i'd enjoy not having to walk across a depressing, barren wasteland for 99% of the game (although the anti-materiel rifle is a lot of fun )

With me it's less that it's about exploration.. it's that it's the continuation of the first game series that really rewarded you for exploring. I've played every game in the Elder Scrolls series and loved them.

Pretty much most the games recycle the same thing. I don't see why people are so exited about the New Assassins greed, Saintrow 3, MW 3, BF 3... They really don't offer anything new.Ofcourse there are better graphics, new things to gameplay and "new story", but it's still same thing than before.

I don't say i would not enjoy them either, just saying that people really can't say that: "Skyrim is same thing as last obilivion, i'm going go to Assasins greed: Revelations and Saints Row 3, becouse they offer whole new things, hurr durr"

so many people....OFFENDED. silliness hehehe You haven't even played it yet Jack. Its not like you're saying "OMG RAWR WHAT A DUMB STUPID HORRIBLE GAME RAWR!"goodness gracious, people are allowed to have opinions sheesh :/

I'm sure it would be the same for any of us if we grew up with castle's Jack. Americans have 1920s flappers/gangsters/mobs and 1940s soldiers. People in Florida have NASA and Disneyworld. They're not NEARLY as giddy about them as people in North Dakota. People in Colorado aren't nearly as giddy about mountains as those in Ohio. And those on the coasts don't worry about the ocean like those who are landlocked.

Your thoughts are legit I love the game myself, but that could partly be because it's my return to video games since Spyro the Dragon hahahaha XD

You hear it once and you will hear it again but You should give Skyrim a try. My main reason is Bethesda did a really great job with the NPC interactions. There are many times you will come across people arguing or whispering or talking about what is going on and a lot of time it leads to a quest or a hint of a quest. I understand the setting is not as engaging as Fallout, I am a huge fan of Fallout myself, but the immersion is excellent. Makes me very hopeful for Fallout 4.

Tel you what,for those of us that played Morrowind back in the day,it brings that feeling back,its just that awesome,been playing it non stop this last days.A litlle advice tough,if you have a console,get the conole version,the pc version is full of bugs

To put it simply, both are hopelessly addicting. Skyrims detailed customization process made me make seven different characters before i even started, each one better than the next. Combat and sync kills are fun, and the scenery is breath taking. Plus, it's actually difficult. I died at least 4 times before finally killing the first dragon, but that may have something to do with me being a complete retard when it comes to fighting dragons.

Saints row 3 is also ridiculously fun. While the things that you character does are a little "God-mode," the action sequences and the way you have to fight for the kill syncs is also realistic and fun. The only beef i have with the game is that the cops never chase you unless you fire a gun or ram someone. Apart from that though, I'd play it and keep playing it.

So... you have dragons threatening to eat you every day!? Or sapient, bipedal cats and lizards walking the country side? Ancient underground caves under said ruins that are illuminated by giant plants that makes you feel like you stepped into an all together different game!? Of course you must have a guild of assassins and viking werewolfs that fight till the death should you face them? Or towering mountains, with monks that use their voice to shout their enemies to pieces? Or mystical scrolls and powerful swords and armor that can change the very foundation of the world? All of these things exists were you live, but not anywere else!?Maybe I should move to were you live...

PS. Skyrim and it's population is more based on Scandinavia and Vikings. Perhaps there are a little Celtic warriors in there, but it's not much.

Interesting dialogue. Personaly, as many , I've grown up around far too many decrepit industrial areas, worked in too many, lived in the desert (with more) that were by and large all grey and brown. The 'city' I reside in now wants to pass for something it isn't and is depressing in its dreary and grubby looking industrial sector. The dead zone of what used to be once-popular streets decades bask is now slums or very near. Any aspiring zombie apocalypse filmmaker would not need to look far for locations. As a film fan, I grew up on post-Mad Max post-apocalypse crap that was beaten into the dust, until the scenery was no longer frightening. Only did the film The Road make apocalypse feel terrifying again.

I have also lived near both coastlines, so there was plenty of green trees, lots of trees. So it's interesting how the environment we are living in can influence our tastes in games. Were the countryside filled with nothing but grass, I suppose it would be after a time dreary in its own green vastness. Personally, I miss grassland since so much has been decimated and paved over here. But ask me that on a hot day mowing a massive yard and my feelings may be different.

The Midwest (Wyoming, namely) is mentally grueling to drive through or live in since it is low rolling hills and damn near featureless. In winter it is as close to a true apocalyptic landscape as anyone could wish. I hear people at sea alone for a long time go a bit mad, the same could happen in Wyoming if traversed on foot.

So much for environment. As I have never played Morrowind, I can't make an honest comparison between Oblivion and it. I did play Oblivion 4 that I enjoyed immensely as I am a fan of exploration content, and being able to play mixed classes was great. It surpassed many games I had played, though I had been out of gaming for years y then so I missed tons.

The only gripes I had were it was solo play, and there was nothing to do at the end. There was the Shivering isles, but I wasn't able to do much of that. I liked it so much I had wished for a more impressive and progressive gladiatorial pit. I would have added traps in it. There was a random party near a stream that you rescue who are settlers. Later in game I would have had a town developed there and another home to purchase. Also by end game you are rich and powerful. Then all there is left to do is bash and loot. The storyline started near a city that was where the first Oblivion Gate opened and was destroyed, and an npc claims it was a grand city and boasted the best gladiator arena. In my wish list that would be end game, using the money I had made as a hero and helping the people rebuild that place and be able to then design and build my own house (stables included). The the bash and loot would have purpose.

This strayed a lot from your comment, I know. Someone else I knew had lived overseas and was able to look out of the house at ancient ruins. When I saw pics I asked why EVER move away?! Stateside we lack any great historical sites of civilization THAT old or large. We live in buildings that won't be here in 200 years. Nothing is made to last anymore. Our wasteland will be malls, and industrial and apartment complexes left behind. Maybe some old architecture that will survive. That is this towns one small and meagre grace, the downtown has some older quality architecture left.

BTW , thanks for the chuckles, it was a great way to start the day. Petewyse cracked me up. Reminds me of me...snow..so much fucking SNOW.

If there is one thing I know, it's don't ignore the gut feeling. And with that I respect yours. As for my opinion of the game, it is a cut above from the other elder scrolls. For me it touches on all the right bases and fixed problems. Enough for me to enjoy it. I like melee combat and the others failed at that. Take your time, but I encourage the experience of Skyrim.

its really pretty. Dual weilding spells is fun. But living in Texas, it is pretty exotic landscape, whereas most industrial wastes like Fallout are accessible to me by driving around the outskirts of Houston.

I'm one of the lot who rushed to buy it on the release date (not the midnight openings, mind, nor did I pre-order). The game itself is good, but there are a lot of improvements I could suggest.

You're right on the whole intelligence point. Sometimes the quests give me too much information, and in dungeons I get tempted to just cover up my compass so I don't feel compelled to zerg through the next group of undead or mechanised spiders to the objective. There's also the subject of food and potions - food feels more substantial than useful. The only way I could think of improving it would be having a similar playstyle to F:New Vegas' hardcore mode. Make food a necessity rather than something to weigh the bags down. Potions drop from just about anything and sell for a modest sum, making alchemy almost useless to me.

These are the main downsides, but there are plenty of bonuses to balance them out. So far it's one of the only games I've enjoyed thoroughly in a while, so much so that I've neglected my schoolwork and stayed up most of the weekend committing mass genocide against giants in retaliation to one of them literally sending me into orbit - a bug that I found hilarious.

I'm right there with you on the issues, but I've never enjoyed a game as much as I have with Skyrim, except maybe for my first playthrough of Fallout 3 where I lived in a national guard bunker with a glowing ghoul and set out to conquer the wasteland - I had a lot of fun with FO3.

The first thing I did after getting out of river hall or whatever the first town was called was to explore, I walked for about an hour, fought baddies and wolves, saw a mammoth and a giant, went up the giant hoping I could talk to it, he hit me once, I died, flew 1000000000 feet in the air and landed on a mountaintop.

I got Skyrim on release night. The thing about it is that it isn't a fantasy English countryside like most RPG fantasy games tend to be. The only place I can think of where this one takes place is somewhere in Finland or Russia. It's funny, most of the guards in the game sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Well then, you'll clearly be in for a surprise when you do pick it up. I've had this game for 24 hours and I have loved every minute of it. From the point where I said "Fuck you, plot. I'm taking a LEFT TURN here!!" to the point where I was snatching salmon out of a river as they swam up a waterfall, to the point where I chased a deer for ten minutes trying to kill that damn thing, whereupon I took its pelt into a small village, made it into leather, and made myself a pair of boots, and finally ended up running screaming from a snow troll while desperately pouring healing potions into my own exposed stomach.

Here's the thing. You claim to be tired of the same old english castle ruins dotting the landscape. This is not English. This is Scandinavian, and it shows in every nook and cranny of to architecture of villages and cities.

If your reason for not picking up Skyrim is because you're not interested in another Tolkien-fest in medieval britain, you've clearly been reading up on the wrong game. Bethesda poured every drop of creativity they could excrete into this game.

I've been playing Skyrim for a few hours and I must say Morrowind still beats it with a wide margin in atmosphere , though that may change later on... Unfortunately atmosphere > everything else for me, so right now I would not recommend it to someone else (at this price).

I find this funny. In the USA, everyone was practically drooling at the midnight release of Skyrim. But I suppose that's all in the advertising, isn't it? Bethesda drops a couple trailers and lets the internet memes do the rest of its job xD

if nothing else play morrowind, if you think oblivion is big and grand you haven't played morrowind. for all it's shiny pixels oblivion seemed alot more shallow and smaller than morrowind even though morrwind took place on a single island (a very big island mind you with multiple cities and a another smaller island and a city off somewhere else if you get the exspansions...). Be prepared to read though this is from before the age of voice actors and most of everything is in text boxes. Although thats not a mark against it in my opinion. i'm really hoping skyrim opens up again.

I can't agree. I haven't played either of the games properly- Oblivion didn't float my boat because it just seemed pretty run-of-the-mill in terms of a fantasy game. As fo Morrowind, I couldn't even bloody well defend myself against a rat, the weapon aim was so bad. But then I did get the Platnum edition I beleive. I'm sticking with an old school Sega Game and zombie-games

we're you playing first or third person? because third person is f-d for no apparent reason. if first person i'm not sure. i played the whole game first person and never had any problems... And as for oblivion, yeah it was run of the mill in everyhing except for graphics which didn't even need to be all that great since it was part of that wave of games that had grerat love of brown.

in a way this makes me sad, because me and my friends paraded round our high school singing the skyrim theme by harry partridge the entire week before it came out, but its ok because jolly jack is awesome

well, that makes sense. Growing up in a city, Fallout 3 didn't appeal too much to me, because I see that all the time (yes, my city is a post-apocalyptic wasteland). I still enjoyed the game, it just didn't have the same appeal as oblivion. Next time I go to Greece, I plan on thoroughly exploring the ruins.